University of Banja Luka Celebrated Its 48th Anniversary

A Solemn Academy dedicated to the 48 years of successful work and development of the University of Banja Luka was held on 7 November 2023 in the "Banski Dvor" Cultural Centre.

Rector of the University of Banja Luka Prof. Radoslav Gajanin, PhD, pointed out that every year the University is progressing.

According to him, in the forthcoming period, we expect a series of activities that will contribute to the University's progress in all fields.

"We will work together with the Students’ Parliament and the Union of Students of the Republic of Srpska on the implementation of all planned projects. We continuously work on improving teaching and the teaching process, introducing mandatory student internships. We want the student standard to be improved and the study conditions to be even better. In cooperation with the Government and the City, we will work on improving the study conditions of students with disabilities", Gajanin said.

As the rector said, with the selfless support of the Republic of Srpska Government, the position of employees at the University is getting better, and the University's permanent commitment is to have only the best be engaged in teaching.

The Rector also pointed out that this year, professors and teaching assistant were also awarded for the results achieved in science, projects and art at our University.

President of the Republic of Srpska National Assembly Nenad Stevandić said that universities are the most important institutions founded by a country, and wished the University of Banja Luka to yield academic citizens with as much knowledge as possible to preserve and improve the Republic of Srpska.

"By cultivating knowledge, we also cultivate our strength, because only societies that rely on knowledge can hope for success", Stevandić said.

Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska Asst. Prof. Željko Budimir, PhD, said that he is proud of this university, which will always have the support of the relevant ministry.

"For 48 years, the University of Banja Luka was able to assert itself and establish itself as one of the most important higher education institutions. In recent years, the Government of the Republic of Srpska has invested around BAM 14.9 million, thus showing a strong intention to support higher education”, Budimir said.

He added that the Government will always give its support in solving certain infrastructure issues, but also for possible revisions and changes to existing legislation with the aim of improving this area.

Budimir pointed out that in the forthcoming period he will especially work on strong networking of the Serbian academic space, i.e., on having the universities from Serbia be strategic partners of universities in the Republic of Srpska.

The honorary doctorate of the University for spreading the truth was awarded to the director of the Government of Serbia Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, Arno Gujon, who said that this was a great privilege and encouragement for him to continue spreading the truth about the deeds and sufferings of Serbs.

"Truth is the most important thing and it additionally encourages me to continue in that direction, because Serbs deserve truth, justice, and freedom. Every European owes his freedom to one small but very brave nation in the Balkans - the Serbs. Everyone should know the truth about them, their deeds and sufferings", Gujon said.

At the ceremony, which was attended by the rectors and vice-rectors of the universities with which we cooperate, President of the RS Academy of Science and Arts academician Rajko Kuzmanović, Mayor of Banja Luka Draško Stanivuković, Minister of Administration and Local Self-Government Senka Jujić, charters and plaques, gold badges with the image of Nikola Tesla, and professor emeritus plaques were presented.

Thus, the following were awarded the University charter: Associate Professor of the Academy of Arts of the University of Banja Luka and Director of the "Banski Dvor" Cultural Centre Mladen Matović, MA, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Israel Duško Kovačević, Head of the the Republic of Srpska Representation Office in Serbia Mlađen Cicović, President of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Srpska Pero Ćorić and the public forest enterprise "Forests of the Republic of Srpska" a. d. Sokolac. University plaque was awarded to: Draško Marinković, Full Professor of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Draško Marinković, PhD, retired professor of the University of Banja Luka Strain Posavljak, PhD, Full Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Law Željko Mirjanić, PhD, and Full Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy Srđan Dušanić, PhD.

"It is a pleasure to listen to the results achieved by the University of Banja Luka at this academy. For me personally and for the Republic of Srpska Representation Office in Serbia, this award encourages us to work even harder and more meaningfully on the promotion of our Republic in Serbia", Head of the Republic of Srpska Representation Office in Serbia Mlađen Cicović.

The honorary title of professor emeritus went to Prof. Rajko Gnjato, PhD, who thanked everyone who supported his election.

"The stormy events of the nineties made me decide to come to Banja Luka, it was a time when the Republic of Srpska needed to be defended and built", Gnjato said, reflecting on his work at the University and its members, the then Teaching Academy, the Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. On behalf of all the visiting rectors, Rector of the University of Sarajevo Prof. Rifat Škrijelj. PhD, gave a speech. According to him, the University of Sarajevo and the University of Banja Luka have a solid academic cooperation, which will be continued in the forthcoming period and which will enable us to achieve numerous common goals together.

The University of Banja Luka is the leading higher education scientific and educational institution in the Republic of Srpska and the second largest university in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was founded on 7 November 1975, which was preceded by the establishment of several junior colleges and faculties in this region.

At the time of its establishment, the University included five faculties – Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics, as well as three junior colleges. The Faculty of Medicine was founded in 1978, and the other faculties later – Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Forestry in 1992, Faculty of Philosophy in 1994, Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering and Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in 1996, the Academy of Arts in 1999, the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports in 2001, the Faculty of Philology, Faculty of Mining and Faculty of Political Science in 2009, and the Faculty of Security Sciences in 2017.

Today, the University of Banja Luka has 16 faculties, the Academy of Arts and the Institute of Genetic Resources.

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